Travelling abroad with your dog
National Canine Defence League
A Dog is for Life In association with the AA A trip abroad with your dog sounds like a great THE PET TRAVEL SCHEME idea. In reality it is not quite so simple. This guide aims to help you plan a safe and trouble-free holiday If you are planning to take your pet abroad and return for you and your pet. to the UK without having to put him into quarantine, then you will need to meet the conditions laid out under the Pet Travel Scheme. The Pet Travel Scheme or PETS is WELFARE CONSIDERATIONS run by DEFRA (The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and was fully introduced on January Travelling abroad can be quite stressful for your pet, so 31st 2001. For the most up-to-date details and an you need to be absolutely sure that your dog is healthy information pack, please contact the PETS helpline on enough to take the trip. Get your vet to give your dog a 0870 241 1710. health check before you go. If you think your dog may be ill, is pregnant or recovering from a recent operation The following conditions have to be met, and must be then it really may be in his best interests to leave him carried out (in this order) at least seven months before you behind or, if possible, to postpone your trip. plan to return to the UK from your Dogs used to a temperate climate such as in the UK holiday with your pet: can find it hard to cope with a sudden change of temperature. Think carefully before you take your pet Your dog has to be microchipped somewhere very hot or cold. Certain dogs such as (with a microchip that conforms greyhounds, short-nosed dogs (Bulldogs or Boxers) to ISO Standard 11784 or Annex or overweight dogs can have difficulties in hot weather, A to ISO Standard 11785).
although all dogs can die very easily from heatstroke. After microchipping, your dog © NCDL If you can’t be certain that your dog will be comfortable must then be vaccinated against rabies. and safe, then perhaps it would be fairer to leave him in After a suitable interval (usually around 30 days) alternative care in the UK. The NCDL recommends that your vet will take a blood sample and send it to a pet dogs should not be subjected to the stress of long recognised laboratory for testing, to ensure that the haul journeys (flights) just for a fortnight’s holiday. vaccine has worked. Please put the welfare of your dog first. You will then have to get a Local Veterinary Inspector (LVI) to issue your PETS certificate. Most small animal practices have a resident LVI. If not, they will be able to give you details of your nearest one. Your PETS certificate will then become valid six months after the successful blood test result. This period of time must elapse to ensure that your dog did not have rabies before or at the time of vaccination. You may leave the UK before this six months is up, but your dog cannot re-enter the UK until on or after the valid date filled out on your PETS certificate. The certificate will then be valid
© Animal Photography until your dog’s rabies booster is due.
2 3 An additional condition is that your dog must be treated Japan Reunion for parasites (certain ticks and a tapeworm) 24-48 hours Liechtenstein St Helena before re-entering the UK. This means that if you are Luxembourg St Kitts & Nevis going to France on a day-trip, your dog will have to be Malta St Vincent treated for these parasites before you leave the UK. On a longer trip, your dog will have to be treated in whichever Martinique San Marino country you are in at that time, before you return. Mauritius Spain (including the Mayotte Canary Islands, excluding Ceuta and You will be charged for each of these steps by a vet, but Monaco it does cost significantly less than putting your dog Melilla) Montserrat through quarantine (around £150-250), as well as being Singapore Netherlands considerably kinder! Sweden New Caledonia Switzerland New Zealand Vanuatu Eligible routes & countries Norway (excluding Vatican Svalbard) Wallis & Fortuna Not all countries are included in the Pet Travel Scheme Portugal (excluding the and you can’t just come into the UK on any route that Azores and Madeira) you like. You will need to contact the PETS helpline for up-to-date information as countries and routes may be Please remember that although it is possible to enter the added or removed from these lists at any time. UK from one of these countries with a PETS certificate, your dog may be put into quarantine on entering their Qualifying countries at time of writing - EC countries country. You may also require export health certificates and rabies-free islands or import permits in order to enter certain countries. For further information, contact the PETS helpline, or the Andorra Finland relevant Embassy or Tourist Office. Antigua and Barbuda France (excluding Ascension Island French Guyana and St Approved carriers and routes of Pierre and Miquelon) Australia entry to the UK French Polynesia Austria Germany Barbados The PETS applies only to England in that the approved Gibraltar Belgium points of entry only occur in England. Anyone trying to Greece Bermuda bring a dog into the UK at any other point other than Guadeloupe those on the approved list (regardless of whether they Cayman Islands Hawaii possess a certificate or not) will have their pet put into Cyprus quarantine. You may travel out of the UK with your dog Iceland Denmark by any means into one or more of the countries on the Italy Falkland Islands scheme, however, you must use one of the following Jamaica Fiji routes to return to the UK.
4 5 By air (into London Heathrow Airport TRAVEL OPTIONS AND only) – from Amsterdam (Schipol) using British Midland Airways SAFETY Brussels by British Midland Airways The mode of transport that you choose depends on Frankfurt by Lufthansa where you are going. Long haul journeys will require Gibraltar by GB Airways you to fly, but if your destination is nearer, you may Helsinki by Finnair choose to travel via train (the Eurotunnel) or by ferry. Larnaca or Paphos by Cyprus Airways Madrid by British Midland Airways Either of the latter two options will require you to use Palma (Majorca) by British Midland Airways your car, although some ferry companies may allow foot passengers with dogs. Always advise your carrier when Milan (Malpensa) by British Midland Airways you are planning to take your Tokyo (Narita), Osaka (Kansai) and Nagoya by dog, as there may be an extra Japan Airlines charge and some services may Tokyo (Narita) by Nippon Airways not take pets. As your pet may Valletta by Air Malta and GB Airways be confined to either your car or Paris by British Midland Airways for Guide and a travel crate during the entire Hearing Dogs only journey, make sure that your dog is exercised immediately before check-in and as soon as By sea you arrive at your destination. © David Hartley Calais to Dover using Hoverspeed, P&O Stena or SeaFrance Eurotunnel (not Eurostar) Cherbourg or Le Havre to Portsmouth using Whilst on the Euroshuttle your dog will be required to P&O Portsmouth stay with you in your vehicle at all times. The usual car Caen or St Malo to Portsmouth using Brittany Ferries safety advice applies (see below). Cherbourg to Poole using Brittany Ferries Roscoff or Santander to Plymouth using Brittany Ferry or Hovercraft Ferries Your dog must usually stay in your vehicle during the Falkland Islands (Port Stanley) to Shoreham using crossing, although some companies may offer the Jeppesen Heaton alternative of kennels on the car deck. If you are concerned that your dog may be too hot in By rail (into Folkestone (Cheriton) your car or that fumes may affect him, you should only) – from notify a crew member who should accompany you to Calais (Coquelles) using the Eurotunnel Shuttle check on him. Service (Please note that this is not the same If you are travelling in the summer, try to book your as Eurostar) journey during the coolest part of the day or consider a night crossing.
6 7 Car travel and safety you the correct dimensions of the container for your Please read our Safe travel and holidays with your dog dog’s size. Purchase your crate a while before you in the UK and Dog car safety leaflets for more plan to travel and get your dog used to it. Put your dog’s favourite blanket in it for the journey. information on car travel and safety. Only feed your dog a very light meal before travelling. Try to get a travel cage with a fixed water pot so that your dog has access to water during the journey. Don’t put any toys in the cage, as there is a possibility your dog could choke during the flight. You will not be able to visit your dog once he is in the hold. If there is a delay before or during the flight ask the captain to check the temperature of the hold. Insist on seeing your dog if you are concerned about his safety. Do not tranquilise your pet unless you have no other © Dave Portus option. Some tranquilisers can cause a significant drop in blood pressure in a pressurised hold, which Aeroplane travel and safety can be very dangerous for your dog. If your dog must This is the most complicated way to travel with your be sedated, ensure that your vet is aware of these dog. You can make all of the arrangements yourself but effects and prescribes an appropriate drug. you may want to consider using a specialist pet exporter Once you arrive at your destination you should find or shipping agent to help your trip go without a hitch your dog in his cage at the luggage reclaim area. Check (see useful contacts). with the ground staff where your pet will emerge.